Job Description

Location

Brighton, UK

Hours

Part time hours considered up to a maximum of 0.4 FTE/ 14.6 hours per week. Requests for flexible working options will be considered (subject to business need). Proportion of remote working can be considered. Core working hours are between 09:00-17:00, Monday to Friday

Salary

Grade 6 starting at 34,610 to 38,784 per annum, pro rata if part time.

Contract Type

Fixed Term Contract

About the role

As a Research Assistant at Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), you will support an exciting new project focused on a public health intervention for young women who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) living in coastal areas in the UK. The Looking Forward Project aims to explore the feasibility, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of a hope-focused intervention including a mixed-methods process evaluation. The intervention is based on the principles of hope theory (strengths-spotting, goal-setting and creative arts elements), designed to be supported using a novel youth-initiated mentor approach.



You will support day-to-day trial co-ordination, including supporting local/unitary authorities and charities to identify and refer young women to the trial. You will engage young women, invite consent, perform screening assessments and support baseline and follow-up assessments via phone, videoconferencing, and in-person meetings. You will collect and enter data, and report accurate recruitment and assessment figures. You will be supervised by the Trial Manager, who reports to the overall project lead, Dr Clio Berry and will be supported with professional development and opportunities for training.



The role would be contracted until 31/01/2027 in the first instance with potential for further extension.



About you

The successful candidate should have a relevant degree and/or equivalent experience, for example gained in working on large and/or complex health or education research projects. The successful candidate will require good communication and presentation skills, together with the ability to organise themselves and work to targets. The successful candidate will have some understanding of the randomised controlled trial approach. The candidate should have personal experience of supporting vulnerable young people and/or professional experience of working with this group in a research, clinical, or support capacity.



About our School

Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) is an equal partnership between the Universities of Sussex and Brighton together with NHS organisations throughout the South-East Region. BSMS is committed to inclusivity, sustainability, medical education in a multi-professional context, and promoting the highest possible standards in our teaching, clinical practice and research (ranging from early translational to applied).



Working together, our Academics, Technicians and Professional Services staff co-ordinate the passionate delivery of teaching and research, allowing us to remain one of the leading choices of medical schools in the UK. Our staff are multiskilled and work across varied teams, which are diverse, experienced and dedicated.


Our object as a School is to strive for excellence in education, training and research allowing us to support all in a constantly changing healthcare sector. We work to create a nurturing and supportive environment in which our staff and our students can succeed and thrive.



Our medical research has developed a strong reputation for making a real impact locally, nationally and internationally.



Ultimately, our research aims to:

improve medical treatment answer fundamental biomedical and clinical questions deliver more personalised healthcare to patients.




Brighton and Sussex Medical School is proud to hold a Gold Athena Swan Award.



Why work here

Our university is situated off the A27, next to the beautiful South Downs where you will enjoy everything that our 150-acre campus has to offer. We are accessible by public transport; Falmer train station is a five-minute walk to campus and several bus stops are located within campus. We also have dedicated cycling paths and encourage our staff to use these with our offering of a cycle to work scheme.



Sussex is a renowned, multi-accredited, research-led International University and this is only possible because of the people that work here. Whether you are a member of Faculty, part of a Professional Services team or a Student, it's our people that make us great and we want you to be part of that.



Find out about our equality, diversity and inclusion



Further Key Information

Please contact Charlotte Rawlinson, Trial Manager, c.rawlinson2@bsms.ac.uk for informal enquiries.



For full details and how to apply see our vacancies page.



The University is committed to equality and valuing diversity, and applications are particularly welcomed from women and black and minority ethnic candidates, who are under-represented in academic posts in Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine and Mathematics (STEMM) at Sussex.



Please note that this position may be subject to ATAS clearance if you require visa sponsorship.



See more vacancies at the University of Brighton



The University of Sussex values the diversity of its staff and students, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds.



The University requires that work undertaken for the University is performed in the UK.



Visa Sponsorship Queries: This role does not meet the eligibility for sponsorship due to its part-time nature. Please consult our Skilled Worker Visa information page for further information about Visa Sponsorship.




December 26, 2025 5:59 PM

Expected Interview Date

Expected Start Date

February 2026

Fixed Term Contract Duration

Fixed term until 31/01/2027